


Get me out of this chair

by yourKitty



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Confusion, F/M, Office Romance, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-05-28 04:06:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15040325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourKitty/pseuds/yourKitty
Summary: You're a hard worker, of which the Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch is starved of. But by his nature, Jim tends to distract you.





	1. Chapter 1

You would have thought it was nothing after sitting in the same chair all day. But your knees and thighs, now jellified, had you realizing a new sensation.

“Uh, hey, Jim. What’s up?” 

He didn’t know what he was doing. At least, he didn’t know what it was doing to you. The way he coyly hovered, lingering in your space, soaking it in and owning it. It was okay with you. Slowly, unsurely, you crossed one leg over the other, just to distract yourself from the impending figure sat directly on your desk. He was thoughtful enough to brush aside some so-called important papers before conquering the spot, along with your attention, which hadn’t been stimulated here in a while. 

“Me.” 

He offered you his trademarked smirk. He was right, at least. On an attempt to avoid his steady gaze, you had to meet it, and were in no position to drop it too soon. You could drown in his warm brown eyes, somehow, and you nearly did. You couldn’t break away now, not while he closed in the distance, playing it like he was only reading the stack of paperwork within your range. Your heart had no pause. By instinct, and by necessity, you glanced at the pile, hardly processing the gap had been closed. His face lingered directly in line with yours. You could promise anyone he was scheming something, and this time it wasn’t an elaborate prank -- but that couldn’t be right. 

You had to think quickly to avoid any action, despite your desire poked by this encounter. Upon this, you pivoted aside to face Accounting. Kevin was oddly attentive. With a sigh, you pivoted back. 

“Are you just gonna sit there all day?” You choked. 

Naturally he side-glanced to the camera, with a nod, faintly musing with satisfaction, and on the way to his own desk. The whole thing had you reeling, humoring any and all possibilities. But nothing clicked for you.


	2. The Realization

You would have thought it was nothing after reflecting on the same turn of events all day. But your concentration and resolve, now shaken, had you realizing a new opinion. 

“Uh, hey, Jim. What’s up?” 

Your desk was positioned left of Jim’s, which mostly had you prime in his view. He didn’t answer you right away, uncharacteristically fixed on his screen. Tentatively, you leaned back in your chair, rolling on your toes to claim a closer look.

“Nothin’.” He responded with a shrug, hardly acknowledging your presence or your question. 

All day you’d been ailing to muster the any sliver of confidence to confront him about yesterday, the most interesting Monday of your long-winded career at the paper firm, but nothing you rehearsed could begin to dig into the mystery. Maybe it wasn’t a mystery. Maybe you did overthink it, as was your habit. Maybe it was best to let it go. 

But you couldn’t let it go now. The thought of Jim targeting you like this had weaseled its way into your subconscious before, and now it firmly burrowed itself to such an extent that you couldn’t tug it out and toss it aside. It was high time to begin a proper investigation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be longer!


	3. Standstill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What could you really do?

You, again, would have thought it was nothing, that there was no meaning, but you tried and tried to hatch a Jim-tier plan all morning. But cloudy thoughts that clashed with impending deadlines, had you realizing even more something had to be done.

Nothing.

The dull desktop screen didn’t improve things, either. The fluorescents weren’t doing any favours for your tired eyes, the buzzing AC unit was about to run you out. You typed away some nonsense in the meantime, just to break the silent monotony and keep yourself half alive, at least for the time being. No productivity here. 

Click. Click. Click, click, click. Click click. 

You groaned at the tedious sound, pressing your face in your palms. Your leg bounced with trepidation. Jim had to say something. 

Tick. Tock. 

It was endless. Hours must have went by, but as you scrunched and turned to glance at the wall clock, only five minutes had slipped away. No progress. You felt a more forceful breeze behind you, blocking any path of concentration you may have been repaving. You turned again to watch Jim glide directly past you, into the break room, like he’d passed an empty chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are painfully short, I'm aware.  
> My plans for this fic may be derailing... but we'll see.


	4. The Answer?

You knew there was something up now, and you knew who to go to. 

“Um, hi, Kelly. Can you help me with something?” 

Naturally, she was elated to be recruited for advice, particularly on relationships. In hindsight, maybe not the best person in the office to consult, but she was the one woman you knew and sorta trusted around here. 

You slowly explained your circumstances, crafting the story with minimal detail as to not draw suspicion to anyone in the office. As you expected, Kelly pounced on the opportunity to tell you that if you want anything, just go get it. Sound advice for someone who now had no other option. She weaseled her way into another few topics of conversation, rendering you numb in the seat for an extra hour or so. 

A few hours had passed since you fished for advice in the annex. You couldn’t ignore it anymore. 

The desk chair jiggled mechanically as you leapt out of it, stalking Jim like prey. It’s come to that, now. If he was going to sink to playing coy, then it was your duty to intrude. You trailed him to the vending machine. 

“Taking a break this early?” 

“It’s one,” clearly caught off-guard, he still gave a smirk to accompany the response. 

You checked the clock once again. “Right.” More time had gone than you thought. “So we haven’t talked much lately, yeah?” You backtracked, slowing into the defensive. “I mean, it seems that way to me.” 

“Um, yeah. I guess not.” 

“It’s been two days.” You nearly seethed at the memory stacked under his nonchalant attitude. 

“Has it really been that long?” He was calm, collected. Not unlike other days. 

“Yeah, it really has.” Did he care at all about this? What’s the aim here? 

“Huh.” 

You bit back, “So I wanted to talk again, I mean.” 

“Go ahead.” He crinkled the chip bag, tearing it open with care, as the rest of the office kept focus. 

You cut the formalities, whatever was left of them, moving on to explain your distaste with the one encounter at this numbingly tedious job that pushed you over an exhilarating edge that might have made your on-the-fly decision worth the risk. His previous imposition had you craving more of his attention, and it seemed to you that he had been aware already as you recounted this to him. 

“Oh, that? I didn’t think you would think anything of it. It was nothing,” Jim explained, all with a signature shrug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit that I didn't intend for this work to be 4 chapters. But I liked writing it. :)

**Author's Note:**

> No, I'm not writing a love triangle drama.


End file.
